The public holiday on Tuesday provided a good reason to take Monday off, giving four days for a trip. The planning of where to go was all last minute stuff, very indecisive if it should be Kaweka or Kaimanawa. Taharua road end into the Kaimanawa forest was decided as that gave us a way into the Kaweka forest by going from Boyd to Tussock hut. Us being Martin and myself.
The whisky I took along on this trip was the Springbank cask strength 12 year old, at 56.5%. Did share some and the comments involved petrol.
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| Springbank 12yo Cask Strength |
Friday 02/02/2018
After work on Friday picked up Martin after a slow drive through town, leaving Wellington shortly after six, having a slow drive up to Otaki. Stopped to see my parents briefly and do some grocery shopping. Drove past midnight.
Saturday 03/02/2018
Parked the car at Helisika car park at the end of Taharua road just before one thirty Saturday morning, headed off at quarter to two in the morning, expecting to be at a hut in a few hours.
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| Helisika car park |
We intended to go to Poronui hut for the "night", arriving there at four in the morning, finding it locked.
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| Poronui Hut |
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| Locked, private hut |
Not a public hut, so we decided to head onto Oamaru hut as it did not look far. We easily followed a track through the bush and then got lost in the river, crossing back and forwards and wandering thru bush. In the end we couldn't find a track so we used a compass bearing and took a straight line through the scrub and hit a track to the hut. Arriving there at five twenty, and as we unpacked on the verandah an alarm went off. Three hunters started there day as we went to sleep.
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| Successful hunters, one Sika stag |
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| View from my bed |
We did not sleep well and ended up packing up and heading off at ten thirty heading for Boyds hut and getting there just before six pm, one other walker there.
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| Leaving Oamaru hut |
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| Oamaru River |
The walk is easy river flats for the first three kilometers and then gets into the forest following the Oamaru river for about eight kilometers, then at a fork heads South along the Waitawhero stream.
This day there was no hum of wasps from the canopy, and all day saw only one wasp. This lack of wasps is something to check further.
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| Oamaru River |
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| Fungi of interest |
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| Old trees here |
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| Mostly gentle track |
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| Oamaru River |
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| Lunch time on the Oamaru river |
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| Mossy area Oamaru River |
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| More interesting fungi |
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| Fungi |
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| View down from Waitawhero Saddle into Ngaruroro valley |
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| Tussock area before the crossing |
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| Crossing the Ngaruroro River |
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| Boyd Hut |
A very nice hut to sit and drink a dram after the evening meal, and discuss the endless walks we have in this country.
Sunday 04/02/2018
Up late having brunch on the verandah and then heading off to Tussock hut.
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| Brunch at Boyds |
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| Boyds Hut |
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| Heading South down the Ngaruroro |
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| Martin in the Ngaruroro |
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| Passing the airstrip |
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| Interesting erosion here |
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| Heading to cross the Ngaruroro |
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| Ngaruroro River |
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| Crossing the Ngaruroro River |
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| Looking back into Ngaruroro River |
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| Tussock Hut |
Tussock had was occupied with three hunters who had flown in using Helisika, very popular area with helicopters flying over all day. Went for a walk to Harness, turned back at the junction.
Monday 05/02/2018
Left Tussock hut heading to Oamaru hut back the way we came, intention to stay the night at Oamaru hut.
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| slept out on the deck |
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| Cruisey forest track |
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| Looking towards the Ngaruroro |
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| Martin on the track |
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| Ngaruroro valley |
As we wandered back out the forest, the wasp question got woken again as Martin got stung by one three times. Not a wasp free area.
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| Oamaru Boyd track |
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| North toward the Taharua |
Arrived at Oamaru hut with lots of time still in the day. As we snacked we discussed how crazy the drive home would be the next day at the end of the long weekend. A late night drive home sounded a much better idea giving us a day to clean up before the short work week. Decision made we continued on to the road end, the. and the drive home.
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| The whiffy Oamaru hut |
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| on the way out this is became a long road |
Arrived at the car as the rain got heavier, very good timing. Drove South stopping for pizza in Taupo and an occasional coffee on the way.
Map Stuff
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| Google Earth and Topo NZ |
Trip Times
Saturday 04/02/2018
0133 Arrived at Helisika car park
0146 Headed off along the Poronui access Route
0407 Poronui Hut
0421 Sign with "Oamaru Hut 35 mins"
0522 Oamaru Hut
1033 Left Oamaru Hut
1034 Sign with "Boyd Hut 5-7 hr"
1422 Oamaru River Waitawhero Stream forks
1627 Crossing Ngaruroro River
1653 Boyd Hut
Sunday 05/02/2018
1213 Left Boyd Hut
1309 Crossing the Ngaruroro River
1323 Heading East to Tussock
1515 Arrived Tussock Hut
1646 Left Tussock hut for walk to Harkness hut
2053 Back at Tussock hut
Monday 06/02/2018
0735 Left Tussock Hut
0944 Back at the Tussock Hut sign in the Ngaruroro
1039 Sign stating "Oamaru Hut 4-6hr"
1308 Oamaru River Waitawhero Stream forks
1608 Oamaru Hut
1721 Left Oamaru hut
2025 At the car
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